The Festival’s premise: two original one-act performances conceived, rehearsed, and executed in a twenty-four-hour period by interested members of Hamilton’s student body. Every year, the Festival centers around a prompt and a line to be recited in each play. This year’s prompt was, “Pride Goes Before the Fall,” with the subsequent line: “With extra gravy.”
The hard work began on Friday at 7:30 PM when volunteer writers Kayley Boddy ’22 and Jessie Dromsky-Reed ’19 were given the prompt and a single night to outline and create an entire original script surrounding the savory line.
Working fast within the brief timeframe, Boddy produced “A Heist Involving Only Corn and Gravy,” and Dromsky-Reed produced “That One Time Pride Stood in Front of Fall” for the rest of the team, who arrived in the morning. Afterwards, directors Aaron Simons ’22 and Emily Aviles ’19 consulted the actors for their vision of blocking and characterization (Aviles was also one of the actors herself.) With about two hours to memorize, the cast worked hard to master their character motivations and relations before per forming that evening.
“A Heist Involving Only Corn and Gravy” began its sole act spotlighting two sisters, Veronica (Madeleine Cavallino ’21) and Patricia (Hanna McLean ‘19), and their debate over whether or not they should stage a heist in the Target they are playing Monopoly in. In the middle of the furniture aisle, the two argue over what they would steal, why, and how they would get away with it.
Although this lighthearted story focused on the sisters’ comical conflict, Boddy’s script also highlighted complexities within their family, as Veronica revealed that she had witnessed her mother steal their Thanksgiving dinner preparations the past year, which inspired Veronica to do so now. Cavallino vibrantly demonstrated the playful nature of Veronica, portraying her through a lively, juvenile lens, in contrast to McLean’s amused, mature disposition as Patricia.
The sprightly dynamic between the girls entertained the audience even more, as Veronica decided the objects she wanted to smuggle out of the store were corn and “extra gravy” — perhaps one of the more unusual thefts in Target history. Patricia challenged Veronica’s motivations, questioning the exit route through which she would sneak out the goods. Veronica then excitedly responded, “The employee exit.”
“The employee exit?!” said Patricia, laughing with the audience at the absurdity of the idea, having continually resisted her sister’s proposals. Veronica, head held high, rapidly made her way to the exit but fell short just moments before the evacuation directly in front of the Target employees. In the play’s dramatic climax, Veronica, drenched in corn and gravy, was then surrounded by the authorities while Patricia made her way out the door, past the commotion, and out of the store without paying a cent for the items in her cart.
Next, “That One Time Pride Stood in Front of Fall” starred Isabel Bates ’21 and Emily Aviles ’19 acting as two women separately ordering from a line of food trucks, both excited to have the extra toppings available for each dish. The pair are quickly introduced when Falente (Bates) accidentally falls on Pridinia (Aviles) while the two are in line.
Having spilled Pridinia’s food on the ground, Falente offers to purchase her meal, ultimately sparking the two’s bonding over the food they then share. Falente, nicknamed “Fall” by her friends due to her continual clumsiness, immediately connects with Pridinia, known as “Pride,” who says she recently arrived in town to visit friends at the food truck line.
The natural chemistry between Bates and Aviles allowed for a genuine connection between the two characters, ultimately charming the audience with their exchange of numbers and endearing dialogue regarding Fall’s proposed date: bar-style Tachos (nacho-style tater tots,) written by Dromsky-Reed. As the pair happily leave the scene together, both audience and characters root for their relationship to last.
The Festival concluded with a round of applause and a shower of admiration for the hard work of the everyone involved.
